1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sound board system for a stringed musical instrument and to stringed musical instruments having such a sound board system. This invention has particular application where the stringed musical instrument is a guitar, though the invention has application to any stringed musical instrument.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
A stringed musical instrument typically has multiple strings strung at high tension from a neck to a bridge. Such an instrument has a single sound board, typically, with at least one sound hole. The stringed musical instrument further includes a back and a side that extends between the perimeter of the sound board and the perimeter of the back and maintains the sound board and the back in spaced relation. The sound board, the back and the side cooperate to define a sound box and further define a resonating chamber within the sound box. The sound hole disposed in the sound board enables sound waves to emerge from the sound box.
The stringed instrument further includes a neck and a bridge secured to the sound box in a manner known in the art. The neck includes a head positioned at an end thereof opposite the sound box. In a guitar, the sound hole in the sound board is typically disposed between the neck and the bridge and strings are secured between the head and the bridge and over the hole in the sound board in a manner known in the art.
It is always desirable to achieve greater sound volume from a stringed musical instrument. It is also desirable to achieve better tone quality from a stringed musical instrument, such as by producing sound that has a more complex texture or a richer base. As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention achieve these objectives and overcome disadvantages of the prior art.